Utilization of steel industry waste derived magnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles for reverse water gas shift reaction

The improvements associated with developing newer pathways for the catalytic reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into valuable products have grown a lot in recent times. Herein, we investigated the possibility of using waste red-colored iron oxide dust (IOD) as a low-cost available precursor for synthesizing magnetic black-colored iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄-NP). The as-synthesized Fe₃O₄-NP has been used to thermo-catalytically reduce CO₂ to carbon monoxide (CO) using the well-known process of reverse water gas shift reactions (RWGS) with a > 97 % selectivity with ∼ 22 % CO₂ conversion. The catalytic activity of Fe₃O₄-NP for converting CO₂ into CO has been analyzed in a laboratory-scale continuous fixed bed reactor, where Fe₃O₄-NP showed better results than IOD. The electrochemical studies have also supported the improved RWGS activity of Fe₃O₄. Additionally, the catalytic activity of synthesized nanoparticles for RWGS has been compared with two commercially available samples of Fe₃O₄ named CS1 and CS2, where the synthesized Fe₃O₄-NP showed better results, which advocates the suitability of the reported procedure related to the utilization of iron-based industrial waste.